Wire-drawing apparatus



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w. u. BOEDEKER WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed sept. 3, 1926 Patented Nov..19, 1929 WALTER 'ULRIC BOEDEKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOWESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK WIRE-DRAWING APPARATUS Application led September3, 1926. Serial No, 133,358.

This invention relates to wire drawing apparatus, and more particularlyto mountings for wire drawing dies.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for accuratelyand rapidly producing wire of a desired diameter, which is free fromirregularities and is of uniform cross section. y

In accordance with the general features of the invention, there isprovided a rotatable plate provided with 'an axial bore and a slotextending radially outwardly from the bore to the edge thereof throughwhich the wire to be drawn may be inserted. A dg' block,

also provided with a bore and slot is secured to the plate, which blockis provided with levers for centering and gripping a die while tensionis exerted `on the wire being drawn therethrough and for forciblyejecting the die from the die block whn the trailing end of the wirepasses through the die.

It is believed that -the invention will be clearly understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection withv theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig.A 1 is an end elevation of anapparatus embodying the invention with the cover portion thereof removedto disclose parts otherwise hidden;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View thereof taken substantially online 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig..3.is an enlarged sectional view thereof takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentarysectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts throughoutthe several views, the numeral 10 designates a 4shaft which is mountedin a bearing 11 in a housing 12 which is in turn secured to a frameworkof the apparatus 13 in any suitable manner such as by bolts 14-14, whichshaft may be connected to a source of power (not shown) and driven inany suitable manner. Upon one end of the shaft 10 is mounted a bevelgear 18 (Fig. 2) which engages with a corresponding bevel gear 19mounted upon a shaft 2O also mounted in the housing 12. Formed integralwith the bevel gear 19 is a spurgear 22 which 59 meshes with gear teeth23 formed upon the periphery of a plate 24 which is mounted .by

means of an integral hub 26 in a suitable bearing 27 carried by astandard 29 secured tothe housing 12, a collar 30 pinned to the hub 26by means of a pin 31 firmly locking the plate 24 in operative position.An axial bore 33 is provided through the plate 24 and the hub 26 for\thepassage of a wire 35 and a radial slot-,34 extends therefrom through thehub 26 and the plate 24 to the edges thereof so that the wire 35 may beinserted.

A circular. die block 36 is rigidly secured to the face of the plate 24in any suitable man- Y ner such as means of bolts 371-37, which block isprovided with a large axial aperture 39 and a radial slot 40 registeringwith the radial slot 34 in the plate 24. A plurality of radiallyextending grooves 42-42 are provided in the die block 36, one of whichis directly opposite the slot 4() and the others of which aresymmetrically located with respect to the first mentioned groove andwith each other. A lever or finger 44 is inserted in each of the grooves42-42 and the levers are pivotally secured therein by means of pins45-45'which are driven through holes 46-46 provided in the die block 36at right angles to and intersecting the grooves 42-42. The levers44-44are pressed to the left as seen in Fig. 3 by coil springs 47-47 whichare inserted in sockets 48-48 provided therein and which engage springseats 49-49 provided in the bottom of the grooves 42-42. The levers44-44 are provided at their inner ends with short arms 50 50 and longerarms 51--51 and at their outer ends with inclined surfaces 52*52designed to contact with the bottom surfaces of the grooves 42-42 toprevent the levers 44744 from being forced too far outwardly by thesprings 47-47. A removable die 54 which is of the shape of a conicalfrustum and which is provided with a central opening 55, the diameter ofthe inner end of which correspondswith that of the finished wire, isthreaded on the wire 35 and placed into contact with the levers 44*44the posii l tion shown in Fig. 3.

A small pipev 56 which may be connected to a source of supply (notshown) of a lubrieating material ysuch as a soap solution is secured inany suitable manner to the apparatus A adjacent the die 54 to furnish alubricant for rendering the drawing operation easier, while a removablehousing 58 is provided to cooperate with the lower housing 12 to coverthe apparatus, which housing is provided with baiiies `59 and 60 toprevent the lubricating.

' pads 63 and 64 are inserted to-wipe 0H the lubricating material fromthe iinished wire and "an aperture is provided in the standard 29 topermit the lubricating material torun into a suitable collecting chamber(not shown).

'The operation of the ap aratus is as follows: The advance end 35 oasupply of wire to be drawn is reduced in size in any suitable manner andis inserted through the aperture 55 in the die 54. The cover 58 is thenremoved and the advance end of the wire is inserted through the slots 34and 40 in the plate 24 and the die block 36 into the position shown inFig. 3 when the advance end of the wire is secured to any suitabletensioning means 'such as a capstan (not shown). The cover 58 is thenreplaced, the supply of lubricant is connected with the pipe 56, and themechanism driving the shaft 10 and the tensioning device is started,when the plate 24 -will be revolved through the gears 23, 22, 19 Aand 18and the wire 35 will begin to advance to the right as seen in Fig. 3through the apparatus. The die 54 will be drawn along with the wire 35through the apparatus by the tensioning device until it contacts withIthe arms 51-51 on the levers 44-44 and will force them to the right asseen in Fig. 3 against the force of the springs 47-47 until the'shorterarms 50-50 contact with the inclined edge thereof whereupon the die 54will be accurately centered and will be gripped tightly in operativeposition. Tlie levers 44-44 will grip the die 54 so tightly that the diewill be rotated by the plate 24 as if integral therewithv and the wirewill be drawn through the die and reduced to the desired diameter untilthe supply of wire is exhausted. When the trailing end of the wirepasses through the die 54, there is no longer any force urging thedieagainst the levers 44-44 and the springs 47-47 will then force thelevers to the left as-seen in Fig. 3, thereby ejecting the die whichwill fall to the bottom of the apparatus. The various driving mechanismsmay then -be stopped and the above operation repeated. v

By making the side surface of the die conical and by spacing-thegripping levers symmetrically around the die block the die isautomatically centered in thedie block when it isdrawn against thelevers, while by causincr the die to rotate with the die block' as thewire is being drawn therethrough the re- .duced wire 1s made of uniformcross-section and is freelfrom any irregularities which might resultfrom unequal wearing of a stationary die; Also by providing springs tocause the gripping levers to expel the die when the trailing end of thewire passes therethrough, the apparatus is automatically placed incondition for the reception of another -wire with a die threaded thereonwithout loss of time for removing the die.

What is claimed is:

1. In a Wire drawing apparatus, 'ablememberg a die, means responsive totension on the wire for securing the die in operative `position withrespect to the rotatable member, and resilient means controlling saidmeanafor forcibly ejecting the die from operative position and renderedeffective when tension on the wire is removed.

2. In aV wire drawing apparatus, a rotatable member, a die block rigidlymounted thereon, a die, and levers pivotally mounted on the die blockand controlled by the wire passing through thedie for centering andgripping the die in the die block while wire is being drawntherethrough.

.3. In a wire drawing apparatus, a'rotat-l able plate, a die blockrigidly mounted thereon provided With a central opening, a die, meansfor centering and securing the die in the opening in the die block Whilewire is being drawn therethrough, and means for forcibly ejecting thedie from the opening m the die block when tension on the die is removed.

4. In a wire drawing apparatus, a rotat- A able ymember provided with acentral bore and a radial slot extending from the bore to Athe edgethereof, ardie block rigidly mounted 'l 5. In a wire drawing apparatus,a rotatable member provided with a central bore and a radial slotextending from the bore to the edge thereof,- a die block rigidlymounted thereon provided with a central opening and a radial slotregistering with the first mentioned slot, a die', levers pivot-allymounted on the die block for centering and' grippin the die to cause thedie to rotate with thi die block when wire is drawn therethrough,l

and means for forcibly ejecting the die from operative position whentension on the Wire being drawn is removed. Y

6. In a wire drawing apparatus, a die, a. rotatable member, a die blockcarried thereby, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted and.

Lveaew l i radially positioned on the die block for securing andcentrally positioning the die and provided with die receiving recesses,and a .spring associated with each lever to actuate the lever forforcibly ejecting the die from the die block when tension on a Wirebeing drawn is removed.

7 In a wire drawing apparatus, a'die-having atapered external wall7 amounting therefor7 a plurality of spring controlled levers pivotedthereon and having bifurcated ends extending inwardly in a radialdirection to- Ward the die, shorter furcations of the levers engagingthe tapered wall of it thereby wedging the die therebetween in responseto the tension exerted by the drawing of a wire through the die andlonger furcations of the lever engaging the forward end wall of the dieto eject` it from the mounting upon the removal ofthe tension from thewire.

8..In.avw1re drawing apparatus, a die mounting therefor, a plurality oflevers pivoted thereon and having bifurcated ends eX tending'linwardlytoward and engaging the die, one urcation of each lever engaging theforward end surface of the die, and the other and shorter furcationengaging the side Wall of the'die to cooperate with the other levers insecuring the die j in the mounting when the levers are actuated by thepassage of a wire through thel die, and springs associated Vwith' andcompressed by` such actuation of the levers and becoming effective whenthe tension on the wire is removed to move the levers in a reversedirection causing the longer urcations thereof to eject the die from themounting.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe-my name this 19th day ofAugust, A. D. 1926.

WALTER ULRIC BOEDEKER.

